


oh, to be eddie's husband

by zoodie



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Coming Out, Crack, Developing Relationship, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Everybody Lives, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gay, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Richie Tozier, Gay Rights, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nervousness, No Angst, Nobody is Dead, Oblivious, Pre-Relationship, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Romantic Fluff, Snails, Teenage Losers Club (IT), Teenagers, snail parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:02:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23676559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoodie/pseuds/zoodie
Summary: in which eddie finds a snail, declares him and richie the parents, and nearly destroys richie with the implicationsorrichie and eddie are in love, but need a snail to show them
Relationships: Ben Hanscom & Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough & Richie Tozier, Bill Denbrough & Stanley Uris, Bill Denbrough/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak & Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon & Stanley Uris, Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris
Comments: 20
Kudos: 165





	1. Parents

Derry was overcast and gloomy on this particular July afternoon. It was still warm, but the clouds blocked out the sun. That didn’t stop the losers from spending time together. The pavement was warm on their tires. They were biking down Richie’s neighborhood, just having picked him up from his house. When he’d come out of his house, his eyes had been red rimmed, but he still spat his usual bullshit.

“Hey Eds, what’s crackin’?” Eddie looked over with a slight roll of his eyes. Eddie had been friends with Richie longer than he could remember. Longer than anyone could remember, really. The losers club had slowly formed around Richie and Eddie, who were friends before it all began. Richie meant the world to Eddie. The absolute fucking world. Truly. But god knows he wouldn’t show it.

“Don’t fucking call me that Richie. And what the hell does it look like? I’m fucking biking, just come on.” Richie biked alongside Eddie, Bill biked beside Bev, and Ben biked beside Stan and Mike. They all had separate conversations going, but enjoyed being altogether nonetheless. 

After their usual small talk (small talk being petty arguments and mom jokes), Richie whispered to Eddie, “Come on, let’s ditch the others. They won’t mind, and we’ll meet back up in a bit.” Eddie chanced a glance at Rich, even while knowing the boy’s face might convince him. And, big surprise, it did.

“Fine. Fine, Richie. Whatever,” he rolled his eyes. With the jerk of Richie’s head toward a dirt road, they turned their handlebars towards it. Their bikes skidded slightly, and eddie gave richie a rather flustered expression. Richie found it endearing. Eddie turned back to the losers over his shoulder. They’d been bringing up the rear, so their friends hadn’t noticed them fall behind. 

“See you guys in a bit!” Eddie shouted. They both missed the knowing glances that the losers shared with each other, for Richie and Eddie sneaking off was not a new occurrence. Stan and Mike made eye contact and smiled, knowing what was to come. Maybe not now, but eventually.

Riding on the dirt road, past the houses and then into the trees, eddie allowed himself to smile. Secretly, behind richie. He enjoyed time alone with richie. His best friend made his heart flutter. Eddie knew that they had a special bond with each other that was different from the other losers. Though eddie loved the losers with the entirety of his heart, richie was different. Richie was just… he was richie. He was hilarious and obnoxious and chaotic, inappropriate and vulgar and over the top. Eddie loved him most. He just complimented eddie’s personality, like they fit. They were pieces of a puzzle and all that bullshit.

They were riding along silently, sharing glances with one another, when eddie suddenly screamed, “STOP! Stop it now!” Richie and eddie halted their bikes immediately, with richie throwing his to the ground. He rushed to eddies side, worry stricken on his face.

“Eds? Eddie? What the- what the fuck? What’s wrong? Talk to me, eds.” Richie’s speaking was jumbled and nervous, his eyebrows were turned upwards in worry, and he held a warm, steady hand firmly on eddie’s shoulder, as if to keep them both stable. Eddie let out a giggle, enamoured by richie’s sudden seriousness and care.

“Rich, I’m fine. You were just about to run this little guy over.” Eddie hopped off of his bike and ran over in front of richie’s, crouching down. Richie was still standing by eddie’s bike, still shocked and concerned. Eddie looked down to the dirt, staring at a speck, from richie’s perspective.

“What the fuck is that eds? You nearly stopped my fucking heart.” Richie furrowed his eyebrows and tried to look serious, but the sight of eddie crouched in the dirt, staring gleefully at the ground gave him life again. Eddie wasn’t paying attention to him, so he allowed himself the luxury of staring. Eddie’s hair was growing out to the point that it was curling at the ends. Eddie had been growing it out on purpose, richie knew, because two weeks prior eddie informed him that sonia said she’d hated eddie’s long hair. So naturally, when eddie called richie complaining about sonia, they’d decided that eddie would grow out his hair on purpose to piss her off. Being the accomplice to eddie’s crimes against sonia was richies job, and he was damn proud to do it. 

Richie also noticed the shirt eddie was wearing, and it automatically took him back to three years prior. Eddie used to wear the shirt all the fucking time. It was this little salmon colored polo with a little train on the corner, and richie thought it was the cutest fucking thing he’d ever seen. Eddie was starting to outgrow it, but claimed it was laundry day and no other shirts were available at home. Richie knew it was still eddie’s favorite shirt to wear, even if he wouldn’t admit it.

“What is it eds?” Richie finally strolled over to where eddie was crouched, crouching down beside him. He saw what eddie was smiling at.

“Don’t call me eds, and look who i found! Look at this little guy! He’s adorable.” Eddie was positively beaming. It was a snail, no larger than a nickel. His body was a blush pink, and his shell was an earthy green. Eddie looked up at richie, smiling as hard as ever, and richie couldn’t help but return it. Richie felt his stomach flip at the sight, but ignored it as strongly as he could.

“Wow eds, look at him. He’s sliming his way over to you and everything.” Richie couldn’t stop his smile, wide and aching. Eddie just looked so fucking happy, he couldn’t help but mirror it.

“Can you believe it, rich? We’re parents.” Richie's heart sprung to his throat. He stopped breathing. Eddie’s words played over in his head. He had to make sure he heard right. 'Can you believe it, rich? We’re parents.' He heard right, alright. He didn’t understand why the words affected him this way. 'We’re parents.' He'd said. Richie went into panic mode, stuttering as badly as bill would.

“W-what’d you s-say?” Richie's hands clammed up, slightly shaking. Eddie continued to look admiringly at the snail, tracing circles in the dirt beside him. 

“We’re dads, rich. What should we name him? Anything you want. But nothing to do with my mom. A-and nothing inappropriate. Or stupid. Fuck, just- what do you want to name him?” Eddie rambled, the smile stuck on his face, his cheeks tight, and his eyes wide. Richie was short circuiting. We’re dads, Eddie had said. We, as in himself and eddie. Together. As in, like, a couple. A relationship type of couple. Him and eddie? His mouth was dry and his palms were shaking. He couldn’t speak.

“Richie! What do we name him? Come on dumbass, think of something!” Eddie hit him on the shoulder, and richie nearly stumbled to the ground. He was stiff and terrified of moving. If he moved, he could ruin it. He didn’t even know what he was trying not to ruin.

“Uhh- I mean- fuck, I don’t know,” richie began.

“Come on, spit it out bill.”

“I don’t know, marvin!” 

Eddie looked up from the snail and the smile faltered from his face. He stared at richie, his mouth agape. The air was tense and richie’s shoulders began to slump as he stared back. Richie didn’t know if he did something wrong. What the fuck was he thinking anyway? Fucking marvin, dumb as hell. Then the smile crept back up on eddie’s face, and richie’s began to do the same.

“Rich it’s fucking brilliant. Marvin! Our son marvin. I love it.” He looked back down at marvin, beaming at his son. He kept mumbling things under his breath like “hi marvin” and “you have parents now marvin”. Richie could barely breathe. He was suffocating in domesticity. 

Richie stood up and took a full step back, much to eddie’s confusion. Richie’s cheeks were red, his breathing was shallow and quick. He needed to talk to bev. Bev would know how to help. But eddie was so happy. So richie stood there, conflicted.

“Rich, what’s wrong? Did you change your mind about the name? I really do like marvin, I think it suits him. Really! I wouldn’t lie. I swear.” Richie stood watching his lips move, his stomach churning in the process. Eddie slowly stood up, observing richie’s behavior. It was odd, for sure. He didn’t know what richie’s problem was. “Rich, are you okay?”

“It’s not the name, eds. I don’t know. I think I’m coming down with something. Feel kinda sick. Maybe we should meet back up with the other losers. You can bring marvin! They’d wanna meet him.” Richie was nervous for a reason unbeknownst to himself. Something was going on, he never felt this way. He knew he wasn’t actually sick. He just felt off somehow. His palms were still sweaty and his stomach felt like it was rolling down a grass hill. It was fluttering like… butterflies? He didn’t know why he would have butterflies. But eddie's words continued to play in his mind.

“Okay rich, whatever you say.” Eddie crouched down again and scooped some soft dirt into his hand. He brought it up to the basket on his bike, spreading a thin layer. Grabbing marvin carefully from the ground, eddie placed him on the dirt in the basket, making sure marvin looked comfortable. Richie found it completely endearing and felt the need to tear his eyes away before he did something stupid. He didn’t even know what he would do. 

They rode fifteen minutes to the quarry, assuming the losers were still there. That’s where they’d all been heading before richie and eddie split off. The sun had begun to shine through the clouds at some point. They didn’t know when the sun came out, but it was warm on their backs as they rode toward their friends. The air was beginning to heat up, and it really began feeling like july. 

“Hurry up richie, marvin’s excited.” Richie had been pedalling slower and slower, falling behind eddie during their ride. Richie spent the ride admiring eddie and thinking hard. He needed to know why he felt so odd.

“I’m coming, I'm coming.” Richie yelled. He picked up the pace, pedalling faster and finding himself beside eddie. They shared a look with each other, smiling slightly. Richie’s face warmed, and he didn’t know why.

When they finally reached the quarry, all the losers were laying out on the rocks. Stanley and mike were holding hands. The losers didn’t really know what was up with mike and stan, but these days they were always holding hands. And the losers were cool with it, supportive and all. Bill was talking with beverly, probably flirting like he always was. Ben looked asleep. The sun reflected on the water below the cliff, and a cool breeze blew from the east. 

“Oh, hey guys. Nice of you to show up,” bev said smirking, as richie dropped his bike to the rocks by the others and eddie carefully set up his kickstand so marvin would be okay. She looked highly amused, and richie was curious as to why.

“I honestly didn’t think they’d show,” Stan said with a roll of his eyes, but he soon began smiling along. That’s usually how stan was with the losers, richie especially, all mean but never serious. But richie shut him up with a glance at stans hand, intertwined with mikes. Stanley blushed and looked away. 

“Richie and I have a son.” Eddie blurted out. Richie’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, beverly’s head whipped towards them, bill, mike, and stan’s jaws dropped, and all eyes were on eddie. Except ben’s, who were still closed in the sun. He’d wake up due to the commotion soon enough.

“What the f-fuck do you m-mean?” asked bill. Bev nodded along, as the other losers stared in confusion. They knew richie and eddie didn’t actually have a son, but had no idea what eddie meant. Eddie began to giggle, thinking over his words. 

“His name is marvin,” said eddie. “He’s a snail. He’s the best boy. Come look! Rich and I are the dads, marvin’s in my bike basket.” Bev shared a knowing glance with richie as she sat up, and richie felt his face grow hot. Bev knew him the best besides eddie, sometimes even better than he knew himself. He was a little confused by the look, and his thoughts wandered to its meaning as the losers got up to see marvin.

The losers walked over to eddie’s bike, and richie could faintly make out eddie’s distinct proud, jumbled words. He was bragging about marvin, it was adorable. Richie stayed behind, staring at the scene as his heart thumped in his chest for an unknown reason. He didn’t even notice bev until she tapped on his shoulder. 

“So rich,” she started, “dads, huh? That’s what you are now?” She gave richie a sideways smirk, knowing she had him.

“You know bev, dads do not equal husbands.” Richie rolled his eyes, keeping cool, but his palms were beginning to sweat again, and his heart was pounding against his ribs. Beverly seemed to have this idea that eddie and richie were more than friends, ever since the week prior. 

The losers had been hanging out at movie night watching shrek, obviously richie’s turn to pick, when eddie scooted into richie’s side. Richie had tensed up immediately, and bev took notice. Richie and eddie always sat by each other on movie night, always. Touching wasn’t new to them either; they were always sharing small touches with each other, both in front of the losers and alone. They were just touchy. But eddie hadn’t ever cuddled into richie’s side on movie night. It was a first for them. Richie had put a tentative arm around eddie’s shoulders, stiff and shaky, and eddie moved impossibly closer. Bev watched the whole thing, deciding that she’d get to the bottom of it.

“Bev, if this is about last week again, I don’t wanna hear it. Nothing’s going on between me and eddie spaghetti. Everything’s normal.” Bev hardly looked convinced, taking in richie’s appearance.

“Okay, maybe nothing’s going on between you two, but is something going on with you?” She would get him this time, she knew.

“What do you mean by that bev?” Richie’s heart raced impossibly faster, and he was sure bev could hear it. He didn’t even know why he was freaking out. Rich took a second to think about it, to really think hard. He knew exactly what bev was implying. Honestly, it wasn’t sounding that crazy. Eddie called them dads, and richie nearly threw up. There must have been a reason for that, right? Richie freaked the fuck out! But it was crazy to think that way… right?

“Rich, you know exactly what i mean. Just look at him.” They both moved their eyes over to the rest of the losers, standing around eddie’s bike. Eddie was laughing at the snail on his shoulder, as the rest of his friends smiled along. Mike was talking, and though richie couldn’t make out what he said, he heard eddie’s contagious laugh quite clearly. It hit richie like a train.

“I like eddie.” He said, wide eyed to bev. She smiled sympathetically.

“Yeah honey, you do.”


	2. Marvin

It had been two weeks since richie realized he liked eddie. Two full weeks that bev had been urging him to tell eddie. Two weeks that his mind had been only eddie, eddie, eddie. And it wasn’t a problem because the past two weeks he’d been avoiding eddie. 

Eddie had called richie’s house, asking him to come over multiple times to help take care of marvin. Richie knew snails didn’t need caring for, especially when they lived in a safe, fenced in portion of eddie kaspbrak’s garden, but they always found excuses like that to spend time together. Richie just wasn’t allowing it, regardless of how badly he wanted to watch eddie parent their snail. They’d still spent time together with the losers, but richie refused to allow himself alone time with the other boy. And there was good reason.

Richie’s feelings thoroughly freaked him out. He didn’t even realize he was gay before two weeks ago. He’d spent the past two weeks reflecting, and didn’t understand how he hadn’t seen it before. Not only that he was gay, but that he liked eddie. But now, it was impossible to ignore. Eddie was vibrant and sassy and hilarious; He knew richie like the back of his hand. He would do anything to make richie happy, and richie knew that if eddie could take away all his sadness, he would. It was just the kind of person eddie was. But what richie loved most of all was how brave eddie was. Sonia was a monster, a challenge eddie had been dealing with every day of his life, but eddie never let it show. Eddie never failed to keep a smile on his face, despite the circumstances, and lately he’d even stood up for himself. He’d grown more defiant and confident, traits that drove richie wild. Eddie was growing up, and richie was so happy to see it.

Richie was perfectly content with how things were at the moment. He couldn’t be alone with eddie. He was terrified. Terrified he’d speak out of turn, terrified his joke flirting would become too real (was it already?), terrified eddie would pick up on it, and most of all, terrified his feelings weren’t reciprocated. Because of course they weren’t reciprocated. 

Richie knew eddie didn’t like him in that way. Eddie had shown no signs of even liking boys. Bev had told richie differently, that there was no way eddie was straight, and that there was no way eddie didn’t like richie back, but richie saw no reason to believe her. Not that richie blamed eddie for not liking him. It was no use pouting about it though, he wanted eddie to be happy. Even if it hurt like hell.

Richie had a problem though. It was movie night, and richie always picked eddie up for movie night. That meant they had the whole ride over to bills house alone, which probably meant questions from eddie. Probably questions like ‘why are you avoiding me richie?’ and ‘why have you been such a dickhead lately, richie?’ which were both valid questions. Richie just wasn't sure if he was prepared to respond.

\---------------------

Eddie was home, listening to The Cure in his room and thinking about richie. The Cure never failed to remind him of richie. Richie had showed him the band two years prior when they were hanging in richie’s room, laying on his bed. Richie’s floor had been covered in dirty clothes and eddie was disgusted, but some of eddie’s favorite memories were in that room. He smiled, looking back on the memory and reminiscing. He remembered it had been raining that day. 

However, the memory slipped his mind as he remembered his current predicament. Richie was ignoring him, and he had no idea why.

Eddie couldn’t pinpoint exactly when things had gone south. It was like everything was fine, and then all of the sudden it wasn’t. Richie and eddie never fought. They just didn’t! There was never any need to. But somehow, this was worse. Richie had been dodging his calls, or making up lame excuses as to why he couldn’t hang out. One of richie’s excuses was that he had to clean his room, and eddie knew that was bullshit. So, something was wrong. Eddie would rather fight with him than not know what he did wrong. Things hadn’t changed much while hanging out as a group, except richie’s flinching whenever eddie touched him. It all just wasn’t adding up. Richie hadn’t even come to see marvin! Being angry with eddie for whatever reason was one thing, but taking it out on marvin by abandoning him was another. So naturally, eddie hatched a plan. 

\---------------------

It was nearing dusk and richie still felt panicked about picking up eddie. He was meant to leave in fifteen minutes, but still didn’t know how to handle the situation. Part of him wanted to forget about the whole thing and act natural, but there was a far more selfish side to him. He wanted to tell eddie how he felt. He knew it was an outrageous idea that would mess up everything between them, and he was scared shitless, but this small part of him wanted to risk it all. Richie was aware how selfish this was. It wasn’t eddie’s fault that he caught feelings, and eddie didn’t deserve to lose his best friend because of richie’s stupidity. How could he have let this happen? Perhaps their friendship always worked because of the way richie liked eddie. 

Richie lost track of time while thinking of eddie and before he knew it, it was time to go pick the boy up. He left his room and grabbed his bike, but not before throwing on a hoodie and checkered vans. 

Biking over to eddie’s as the sun went down calmed richie down a bit, and he allowed his mind to wander. He couldn’t help but think of a made up future. He imagined kissing eddie for the first time, the undoubtedly warm feeling it would give him, and the look on eddie’s face when he would pull away. It was too much for him, and he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.

\---------------------

“Whatcha smiling at, rich?” Eddie yelled as he slammed the front door behind him, glad to be out of the house. He felt good, he felt confident. He would crack richie. He walked up to richie.

“Nothin eds spagheds, let’s get to bills.” Richie looked nervous and fidgety and entirely uncomfortable. Eddie didn’t know what he was doing, but smirked and crossed his arms, looking up at richie. Richie’s eyes avoided his own, looking at the pavement, the mailbox, the grass. Everywhere but at eddie.

“You mean you don’t want to say hi to marvin?” Eddie knew richie wouldn’t say no when he stuck out his lower lip, silently begging richie to look at him. Richie’s eyes finally met eddie’s, and they immediately softened. He looked like he wanted to say something, his mouth opening and closing, and it threw eddie off. But it quickly passed. Richie shut his mouth and reluctantly agreed.

“Fuck it, let’s go visit marvin.” Richie dropped his bike on the lawn and eddie grabbed his hand, dragging him across the grass to the gate. Eddie failed to notice how sweaty richie’s palms became. He unlocked the gate and rushed to the garden, dragging richie with him. He carefully crouched down, mindful of the dirt, as richie immediately and gracelessly dropped to the ground. The dirt made a mess all over richies jeans, causing eddie to giggle. 

“What’s so funny eds?” Richie said it with an amused smile, but he still seemed flustered.

“You got your jeans all dirty dumb fuck.” Eddie rolled his eyes, still beaming.

“Funny, your mom says the same thing to me every night.” He smirked at eddie, but eddie burst out laughing.

“My mom calls you dumb fuck every night? Really sounds like something to brag about rich.” Eddie covered his face with his hands, laughing into them.

“Your mom calls me many names throughout the night eddie spaghetti, and dumb fuck is not one of them.” Richie started to laugh too, unable to keep serious with eddie cracking up beside him.

“Shut the fuck up richie. Look at marvin.” Eddie pulled his hands from his face and looked down at his son, who was sitting in the enclosed dirt patch. Eddie obviously couldn’t tell, but he knew marvin was happy. It was his fatherly instinct, probably. He chanced a glance at richie, who was smiling down at marvin. His hands were fidgeting and his eyes were gleaming. Eddie’s stomach did a flip. After some time of eddie watching richie watch marvin, richie looked up to see eddie’s eyes on his own.

“I’m glad we’re dads, eds.” Rich said quietly, smiling softly. Eddie felt his heart in his throat. Eddie’s plan was backfiring. He hadn’t figured out why richie was mad. Hell, richie wasn’t even acting mad. He’d been acting odd, almost nervous, but not mad. So not only was eddie confused, but he also felt strange himself. His heart pounded through his chest, and he became slightly nervous. His stomach felt a tad nauseous, or ticklish. He wasn’t sure. Something. 

“I’m glad we’re dads too, rich. Marvin deserves a dad like you,” he said with a sideways smile. He didn’t know what was happening. Why’d he say that? It was totally a weird thing to say. Richie was going to think he was weird. But he obviously meant it, because richie would be a great dad. And obviously marvin deserved a great dad. 

Eddie took a moment to imagine richie with a real kid. Richie had always been great with georgie, and was by far georgie’s favorite, other than bill. He made georgie laugh the hardest. He’d always pick georgie up over his shoulder and carry him around. Georgie would pound his fists on richie’s lower back and yell for bill to rescue him. It was the cutest damned thing eddie had ever witnessed. Not georgie, richie. Because richie would always wink at eddie if georgie asked him for help. Yeah, richie would be a good dad.

Eddie looked nervously at richie, finding a distinct look on his face. It wasn’t happiness, it was more… adoration? Richie was smiling slightly, staring at him like he was everything. It made eddie’s heart flutter.

“You think I’d make a good dad eddie?” Richie asked hopefully.

“Yeah rich, I do. I really do.” Richie seemed closer than he was before.

“I think you’d be a good dad too. Better than me, by far. I’m glad we’re dads together. You know, so you can show me how it’s done. Marvin’s lucky to have you.” Richie’s eyes went downcast, and he seemed shy. Eddie looked down, too. Thinking. ‘Dads together’ richie had said. They were dads together. 

Eddie didn’t know before. But then, all of the sudden he did. There was a reason richie made his stomach do flips. There was a reason his heart fluttered when richie spoke to him. There was a reason he was suddenly feeling the urge to kiss his best friend. He was in love with richie, and he had been for a long time. Not only that, but he needed richie to know.

\---------------------

Richie had never felt so unbelievably soft. He didn’t know what to expect when he’d come to pick up eddie. He didn’t expect to visit marvin, and he definitely didn’t expect to find himself sitting on his ass in the dirt of eddie’s garden while the losers were all at bills. He didn’t expect to feel so stupid, either. 

He couldn’t believe he’d ignored eddie so long. Sitting in eddie’s garden and talking about being marvin’s dads made him realize how much he needed eddie in his life. There was no way he could live properly without eddie as his best friend. There was no way he could confess his feelings to eddie, no way. He couldn’t ruin what was right in front of him. A perfect friendship, a friendship that he’d likely never find again in his life. He needed to keep it safe, for it was the most precious thing he had. 

Richie looked up at eddie, not noticing how much the distance between them had decreased over time. Eddie was staring intently, down at richie this time because he was crouched and richie was sitting. Richie didn’t know what to make of the look in his eyes. He truly could not decipher it.

“Rich, I need to tell you something. And if you don’t like it, then I’ll let you go to bill’s. And-”

“You’ll let me go? Wow, I wasn’t aware I was being held against my-”

“Shut the fuck up richie, you know what I mean. Let me fucking talk, I’m serious.” Eddie said it half smiling, but richie realized he was serious. So he shut up. Eddie looked down at marvin. “I really don’t want this to affect us at all, I don’t, but I feel like I should tell you. And i feel like it most definitely will affect things, so I’m sorry. I am. And your friendship means the absolute world to me, so it would kill me to lose you, but I don’t have a choice. It's just- richie I’m- fuck. I just- I-”

“Spit it out eds, I’m fucking nervous!” Richie was shaking. He had no idea what eddie was on about, but didn’t like the sound of it. He didn’t like the sound of things “affecting their friendship”, and he had no idea where the conversation was headed.

“God, richie shut up! Will you just shut it! I’m trying to tell you-”

“Well tell me faster eds! You’re scaring me, I don’t want anything to affect us. I couldn’t handle that, I-”

“Richie, I- fuck. Fuck. You fucking dumbass.”

“I’m not a-” And richie shut up because eddie was close. So close. And suddenly he couldn't speak. He felt a hand cup his cheek, a soft, delicate hand, and he glanced down at it. Then back up to eddie’s eyes, which were trained on his own. And then, eddie was kissing him. 

It took a second for richie to register what was happening. Eddie kaspbrak was kissing him. His best friend, his favorite person on earth. The boy he was in love with. The boy he’d been in love with since he was five, before he even knew what love was. The boy he’d been avoiding for two weeks, the boy he couldn’t imagine life without. The boy who was the other father of their snail. And it was all more than richie could have imagined.

Richie began kissing him back, savoring the moment like it would be ripped from under his feet. Eddie’s lips were soft and tasted of cherries. Eddie’s hands gripped the sides of richie’s face firmly, and richie brought his hands to eddie’s waist. He tried to keep himself steady, but it was hard considering he was actually kissing eddie. 

But it was over as soon as it began.

Eddie pulled back, staying close. His face hovered before richie’s for a second, their noses touching, before eddie’s eyes slowly opened. Richie looked into them, searching for something he couldn’t quite place, when eddie’s eyes went wide. His hands fell from richie’s face and covered his own in shock. Richie didn’t move his hands from eddie’s waist. They spoke at the same time. Richie's own words shocked him.

“Rich I- I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry I-”

“Eds I’m in love with you.”

“What?” Eddie went silent.

“I’m sorry, fuck I’m so sorry, I know it’s selfish of me. I just- I didn’t even realize until recently, and I wasn’t going to tell you, but- but you kissed me, and what the hell am I supposed to say?” There was silence. Richie began to panic, he shouldn’t have admitted that. He still didn’t know why eddie had kissed him, it could have been a joke or something. Fuck. Eddie could have been suffering temporary insanity. Or maybe it was an experiment, involving no feelings at all. It could have been anything. But then eddie spoke.

“You love me?” Eddie hands dropped from his own face and hesitantly went to the sides of richie’s neck. His fingers played with the hair curling behind richie’s head. Richie couldn’t help but stare up at eddie. Eddie stared back.

“I do, yeah. I do.” Richie spoke, slow and unsure. But he was telling the truth.

“I’m in love with you, rich. I realized like, I don't know, ten minutes ago. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. But I am. In love with you, I mean. And I think I always have been.” He smiled down at richie, and richie’s heart swelled.

“Can we kiss again? Please, eds? I really fucking wanna kiss you-”

And eddie’s lips were on his again.

\---------------------

Richie and eddie walked late into bill's basement, towards the end of the movie. Neither of them recognized the movie, which meant it was probably ben’s pick. The losers turned their heads at richie and eddie’s entry, and with a chorus of “hello”s, turned back towards the screen.

“Out of our spot, mikey.” Richie said, hovering over mike’s head at the corner of the couch. It was eddie’s favorite spot, after all.

“Yes sir, I’ll move right over, sir.” Mike said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes, while scooting over on the couch. Richie plopped down on the couch corner, causing the rest of the losers to spring upwards. 

“C’mon eds, sit right down would ya?” Richie said with an obnoxiously bad accent. Much to richie’s surprise and satisfaction, eddie curled right up into richie’s side. Bev was watching.

“Where were you guys anyway?” Bev asked slowly. She caught on. Eddie was practically on top of richie. 

“We were checking up on marvin,” richie said, looking down at eddie and kissing the boy’s forehead. Eddie looked up and pressed a soft kiss to richie’s lips.

“He’s our son and all.” Eddie said, smiling.

Bev smiled widely. Stan mumbled a “fucking finally” and the rest of the losers erupted in a chorus of “congratulations”. Eddie smiled, burying his face in richie’s shirt and wrapping an arm around his torso. Richie’s hand found its way to eddie’s as the credits started rolling. He smiled down at eddie, still in disbelief.

He made a mental note to thank marvin later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I'm not very proud of this but I worked hard. 
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos <333

**Author's Note:**

> posting chapter 2 tonight or tomorrow <333


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